The danger in the past (previously the one shot in the waiting)
by amelinasa
Summary: B&B, danger, love, fear. Just all we love about Bones
1. Chapter 1

"Booth…"

"Bones…"

She sighed but didn't remove her eyes from the remains she was examining.

"You should go home…"

"So should you…"

"Booth, just go home, I'll come as soon as I'm done here… Those remains are quite extraordinary, It's fascinating to see how…"

"I'm not leaving without you…"

She raised her eyes. He was watching her, casually leaning against a wall, but she could see how tense he really was. His jaw was set and his eyes darker than usual. She cocked her head to the side.

"You know I'm safe here, right?"

"He threatened you…"

"It was a letter…"

"A letter threatening you…"

"A piece of paper can hardly hurt me, you know, people who have the faculty to exteriorize their fantasies are hardly dangerous…"

"I'm not taking the chance, this bastard had been watching you! He knew how you like your coffee and how long you run in the morning! No, listen Bones, the things he describes in this shit of letter, the things he said he wanted to do to you… "

He swallowed and straightened to come to stand next to her. He pulled her against him and rested his forehead against hers, boring into her cerulean eyes.

"This guy is insane, the thought of him touching you in anyway, it's driving me crazy…"

She knew he was upset with the letters she had been receiving for weeks now, but she didn't realize how worried he was. Since then, her mail had been sent to the FBI for a check before getting back to her.

"I can barely sleep, jeez, I feel sick every time your mail is delivered to my office, every time I recognize the envelope… "

She could hear the tremors in his voice and she wanted so badly to release his fear.

"Booth, it's not the first time I receive some strange letters from fans, it's a part of being a well-known writer, and anything happened to me…"

Booth took her face between his hands.

"Bones, it's not just some strange letters, this guy is insanely obsessed with you, he acts as if you were not married, nor had children, and… and he described how he wanted to rape you, to…to throttle you for god 'sake! "

He let her go and turned away, his fist contacting with the wall. The noise echoed in the limbo.

The remains forgotten, she removed her gloves and waited for him to be ready to talk again.

"We can't find him, the squints didn't find a single particle, no finger prints, nothing to lead us to this bastard! He's far too cautious to be just a crazy fan…"

He looked at her with despair.

"So, please, just let me be here, I need to know that you are safe, I can't lose you Bones, I love you so damn much, and it would kill me, I just can't…"

She came to his arms and rested her head against him, fitting perfectly under his chin.

"Is your boss okay with that? You have a job…"

"The hell with my boss, my job is to keep you safe…"

She had always liked how deep his voice was when she had her ear pressed against his chest.

"You'll eventually have to leave for a case…"

"We work together, we're partners, remember?"

"And sometimes, you're in the field with Aubrey and I'm here…"

"Then I'll have a team watching over you…"

"Booth…"

"No, Bones, please…"

She raised her head and was met with his lips against hers.

"I'm not letting anything happen to you, you're my life, Bones, and nobody will take you away from me…"

 **So? Click that cute little button right here and you'll make my day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So you know, you definitely made my day! Thank you so much for your kind words and enthusiasm! To be honest, I wasn't planning on going on with this one-shot, but since you asked for it, I can't just ignore you! I don't know how long the story will be, but I hope you'll be there! And since English isn't my first language, be easy on me if you notice mistakes!**

"Okay sweetie, this is definitely creepy, maybe you shouldn't see that!"

Angela was studying the last letters when Brennan came into her office. She frowned and went to stand next to her friend, who had scanned one of the letters and put it on the screen. Angela sighed, Booth had asked her to keep his wife from reading the last letters, he wasn't going to be happy.

"Are you okay sweetie?" she asked with concern.

Color had drained from Brennan's face as she read the words. _I'll bath in your pure blood, I'll deliver you from your perfect body, and your soul will rise above us while I'll eat your wonderful heart. You'll be mine in every way possible._

She felt sick and vulnerable; she wanted to call Booth and to cuddle against him, against the only human being in the world who made her feel safe. And she hated that. She had accepted that her happiness was completely and irretrievably depending on Booth, but she had always prized herself for being strong and independent. She hated feeling that exposed, she hated feeling that helpless when her safety was concerned.

She straightened herself and tried to do what she was used to do when overwhelmed by something, compartmentalize and focus on the facts.

"Did you find something?"

Her voice was calm but Angela knew better.

"Brennan, it's okay to be upset, you know that? This guy is insane, what he sent to you… That's just horrible, and disturbing… To be honest, if I didn't know Booth was there to take care of you, I would be freaking out right now!"

"Well, it would be pointless, so let's focus on what you found…"

Angela sighed.

"Fine, you're right. Plus, nothing can happen to you with that G-man of yours, right? First, when the FBI gave me the letters, I couldn't find any evidence , except that the writer is left handed, that he is very cautious and nothing else, nothing helpful. I analyzed the paper, the ink, which are the common type, used by millions of people all over the country…But when I analyzed the envelope, I found a partial finger print in the adhesive portion. Which is quite surprising, if he was wearing gloves, which he was since we couldn't find anything else… I reconstituted the print, I'm searching for a match right now, but look at the last letter…"

Another scan appeared on the screen.

"This one is more cryptic… Do you have any idea of what he could be talking about?"

Brennan had taken a step forward, frowning. _You deserve the world, I'm the only one who can make you happy for eternity, meanwhile, I have some presents for you_.

"I don't know what that mean…"

She had to admit that the author of those letters seemed to be the craziest fan she had ever had to deal with, by far. Usually, it was the classic "I love you, I want to marry you" letters, she didn't even have to deal with them, her agent always took care of that side of her writer career.

"Brennan, this guy is crazy, Pelant kind of crazy, you have to be careful sweetie…"

"I can take care of myself. And Pelant was a killer, those letters hadn't killed anyone…"

There was an edge in her voice, Angela wanted to comfort her but a loud beep stopped her. She looked at the screen and sighed with disappointment.

"No match… I cross-referenced the files of the FBI, the police and the army… And nothing came out…"

"I completely trust your capacities, you'll find his identity…"

Angela grinned at the blunt statement.

"Thanks for the confidence sweetie… I should go back to work, Booth is gonna be pissed off if I come with nothing about this guy…"

"He's overreacting…"

"No, Brennan, he's not, something is truly wrong with this guy, and after what both of you have been through, he's afraid to lose you, he loves you more than his own life, you would be just the same if those letters were about him" Angela replied, pointing the heap of letters on her desk.

Brennan couldn't deny it. If someone was threatening Booth, she would do anything to protect him.

"So take it easy on him…" Angela added with a knowing smile.

Brennan looked back at the screen and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

"According to the wear of teeth and the distortion of the pelvis, it's a primipara in her twenties…"

A silence stretched in the crime scene.

"Doctor B, the last body we found…" said tentatively Hodgins.

"I know…"

She raised her head to find Booth's eyes staring at her.

"You mean… We have a serial killer?" suggested Cam.

"We have to take to remains to the lab, but yes, according to the victim's profile, it could be a serial killer… The last two bodies we found belonged to young women who had had a child… Both confided their child to social services for adoption…"

Booth was still looking at his wife, with an unreadable expression. But Brennan knew him, she knew how smart he was, and if she was able to decipher a skeleton better than anyone else in the world, he was as fast to see connections when everybody was still struggling to comprehend a case.

His phone rang, dragging his attention off of her.

"Booth… Yeah Angela… Okay… Okay…"

Brennan could see his shoulders straightening, his whole body tensing.

"When? What does it say?... Okay, send it…"

He looked at his phone screen as the message Angela sent him appeared.

"DAMN IT!"

He punched the tree next to him, his face a mask of fury and distress. In a blink, Brennan was by his side.

"Booth, what's going on?"

Pale, he showed her the message without a word. Angela had sent a picture of a letter. She gasped and took a step back as if to shield herself from the words and the atrocious truth behind.

 _Do you enjoy your presents?_

 **Thanks for reading… There is a little button calling you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! First of all, thank you so much for the reviews, the favs and follows! It means a lot to me, and I'm glad you're still here! Then, a nice reader told me how a primipara was a woman who had never had children, I'd like to thank her for the precision, since here in France, it's different, it means also a woman who had had one child. I'll be careful to use the right term next time!**

 **Enough talking, enjoy this chapter!**

« So, what do we have? » asked Cam as she faced the Angelatron.

"Molly Miller, aged 19, her mother died years ago and her father was abusive until he went to prison… She get pregnant, as you know, she abandoned her child, a little boy who was adopted since, and she died two months later…" explained Angela as the screen showed a young woman with black hair, dark circles under blue eyes and a scar on her left cheek.

The picture changed to another young woman, a brunette who looked angry and ready to bite.

"Judy Wellington, 21, a junkie, who died three weeks after giving birth to a little boy who was given to adoption too… And now, we have Melissa O'Brian, 18, same profile, she gave birth to a little girl a month ago and left the hospital, leaving the baby behind… The three of them share the same history, abusive parents, dealing, an undesired pregnancy… That's just so sad…"

"There is no sign of sexual assault, Molly Miller's body had no flesh when she was found, but Judy Wellington and Melissa O'Brian had their uterus removed. According to the damages on the femur, the angle of the wounds, the discoloration showed that the injuries were simultaneous, I also noticed signs of internal hemorrhage.… The coloration in the pelvis shows that she was still alive when her uterus was removed…Then, the body was ditched in the forest…" explained Brennan.

"The killer seems to target women not keeping their children, he probably suffered from abandon when he was a child, maybe a foster kid with psychopath tendencies who wants revenge…" intervened Aubrey.

Brennan looked at him with skepticism.

"Those are suppositions based on nothing but a pseudo-science… I need to examine the remains to find what happened to them… And who did this to them…"

"We have those letters…" offered Hodgins, looking at Booth.

The FBI agent was pacing outside the room, having an animated conversation with Caroline. She couldn't hear what he was saying, although he was obviously angry, but Brennan could see how afraid her husband was too. He kept glancing at her through the glass, as if she was about to disappear.

He ended the call and joined them. Brennan held her breath, and waited for him to tell them what was going on. He sighed, knowing how annoyed his wife would be. And knowing how stubborn she was, he was ready for a fight.

"Okay, look, Bones, they want you off of the case…"

Cam, Angela and Hodgins seemed clearly relieved but Brennan frowned.

"Why would they want that? I am the best they can have, did they find someone better than me?"

Booth, his hands on his hips, groaned with frustration.

"Because your stalker is obviously the murderer, Bones, he killed people as a present for you, he knows that your predilection is forensic anthropology and he's trying to please you with those bodies!"

"Those are suppositions, even if I admit that his letters seemed clearly related to the murders. But still, I'm the most efficient to find how they died and to help you find him…"

"It's too dangerous! Look at what he did to these poor girls! What if he targets you next?" retorted Booth.

He looked angry but his eyes were begging her to understand. He almost lost her far too many times, he needed to know her safe or he was going to lose his mind.

"I didn't abandon my children, I don't fit with the profile of the victims"

"Doctor Brennan, Booth is right, even if you don't fit the profile, he's clearly after you, he wants your attention, and he'll keep killing women as long as you keep working on the bodies… He thinks he's doing this for you, it makes sense since you've been yourself… Well, you know…"

Booth and Angela glared at him, and he didn't know who was the scariest… The awkward silence was cut by Brennan.

"You're referring to my past in the foster system."

Her expression and her tone were undecipherable and Booth felt the urge to kick Aubrey's ass out to the Hover.

"Hum… Yeah… He feels close to you and he wants to be loved by you, he thinks he's giving you what you want, if you back off, he will probably stop killing to find another way to reach you…" said Aubrey.

"And it's supposed to make us feel better?" growled Booth.

She paled and tried to tame the sick feeling of guilt rushing over her. Booth couldn't help himself, he stepped closer and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Sweetie, I think they are right…" said gently Angela.

Brennan looked at her friend, then at Booth.

"But you need me…" she said sadly.

His expression softened, he wanted to take her in his arms, to reassure her that she wasn't responsible for this bastard's craziness… She knew Booth would be relieved to have her at home surrounded by an army of FBI agents, but he would never suggest that, he knew her and respected her and her skills. They, indeed, needed her. He needed her, more than anyone or anything else.

"Look, maybe we can fool him… I will have to inform the press, anyway, so, what if the Jeffersonian declared officially Doctor Brennan off the case…" offered Cam.

"But she'll keep working in the shadow…" finished Hodgins with a glint in his eyes. "That would be great! We have to make sure that nobody knows, but it could work… I like that, boss!"

Cam smiled and Brennan looked hopefully at Booth. She didn't need permission, but she didn't want to upset him either. She had learned to compromise, and she knew how he felt, just the way she would feel if he was the target.

"Seeley, she'll be safe here…" said Cam.

"Do you remember when Pelant came to the limbo without anyone noticing?" he said with sarcasm.

He shuddered; he had been terrified just to know that the psychopath had been so close to her, in the same room, breathing the same oxygen. He didn't trust the Jeffersonian security anymore.

"Seeley, we need her, the interns are great, but we don't have much time, and now we have a lead, we know that her stalker is directly linked to the murders, he's even probably the murderer, we have to work together, all of us, to catch him…" Cam told her friend.

She had known the FBI agent for a long time, she knew how protective he was with the people he cared about, but she had never seen him as over protective as he was with Brennan. She knew that if anything was to happen to his wife, he wouldn't survive.

"Booth, you know this is the right thing to do, we don't have much time, and if we stop him, we'll catch a murderer and the man stalking me at the same time…"

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. She was right, of course she was. But if it was up to him, he would have left the country with his family, to keep her safe. Nevertheless, he knew her, she would never walk away from her duty, just like him.

"Okay, fine… Angela, go through the letters again, maybe you missed something, Bug boy, just do your thing with particles, and I'll have a team with you Bones…"

Hodgins left the room, almost bouncing with excitement, followed by Cam who had blood analyses waiting for her.

"I don't need babysitters, the security guards here are far enough…"

He loved her, more than his own life, he would die and kill for her without a blink, he couldn't live without her, but sometimes, her obviousness about her own safety was driving him crazy.

"I know you don't need anyone to damn take care of you, but please, do it for me, take care of me by letting my guys doing their job…"

She narrowed her eyes at him. It was a low blow, he knew that, but he didn't care, he wanted her safe, which was the only thing that mattered.

"Fine" she finally capitulated, "where are you going?"

"First, I'll wait with you for the team to arrive…"

She rolled her eyes but he ignored her.

"Then, Aubrey and I are going to pay a little visit to social services…"

 **So, what do you think? A click will make me so happy, and a happy me is so enjoyable! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Booth knew something was wrong the second he stepped out of his SUV. Christine and Hank were with Max, and Bones was supposed to be waiting for him at home. It had been a week since the press conference, and no body had been found since. It was a good thing, but they were still at the same point, and it was driving him crazy. One letter had been sent to Bones. _They are going to pay_. Nothing else, not a hint, nothing to lead them to the supposed murderer.

When he saw that the front door was ajar, his heart started beating wildly in his chest, drumming in his ears as fear froze his blood.

 _Bones_ …

He took his gun and entered the house. Music was playing, resonating against the walls, filling the space with solemnity. It was creepy and it made the hair stand at the back of his neck. He recognized some classic music Bones liked, some symphony she had tried to make him listen. The lights were on; nothing seemed disturbed, except that his gut was telling him something was off. All his senses in alert, he made his way inside.

"Bones?" he called.

Nothing. He felt panic trying to take the control, he wanted to rush in the house, to shout her name until she was safe in his arms, but he was a former sniper, he knew better. He skipped silently along the wall of the hall.

"Bones?"

He knew he should keep quiet, but a part of him was ignoring the fact that Bones never left the front door open, and madly hoping that she had just fallen asleep, or that she was in the shower. He couldn't imagine another reason for her not to answer, so he had to keep calling her. He took a glance at the kitchen, and saw a cutting board, strips of peppers, tomatoes and onions. And a glass of wine. She had been cooking…

"Bones?"

The first thing he noticed in the living room was the smell. Metallic, disturbing, an odor he had smelt far too often in his life. The smell of blood. Then, he saw her. On the couch, she was laying on her back, her arms along her body, but her head was turned to him, her eyes opened, looking at him. Except she wasn't looking at anything anymore. There was blood everywhere on her lower abdomen.

An inhuman shout, almost animal, rang in the room. He realized it was his own. A cry of pain, and despair. The agony he was feeling was unbearable, breathing was painful. He wanted to close his eyes, to erase all of this. But he couldn't. He hadn't realized he had dropped his gun, he hadn't realized he had staggered until he was knelt beside her. His knees were quickly soaked with blood. Her blood. He was chocking, barely able to brush her ice-cold skin, her grey lips. Unable to focus on her lifeless eyes. His world was crumbling; it was as if the ground had opened under his feet to swallow him in its darkness. He wanted to wake her up, to hear her voice, to feel her snuggling against him, he wanted to curl himself around her to protect her with his body.

But it was too late.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

 **Okay, don't kill me! But you can still let me a review instead! Thank you so much for your messages! Who is excited for the 14** **th** **? I just can't wait!**


	5. Chapter 5

When Bones woke up, she was confused and still half dreaming. She didn't know what awoke her until she realized something was wrong. It was still dark outside, she had trouble to focus till she realized the harsh breathing and a sob behind her.

"Booth?"

She turned on her bedside lamp and turned to face her husband. He was still asleep but obviously having a nightmare. He was struggling to breath, trashing in the sheets and his grey shirt was drenched with sweat.

"No no no no…" he moaned with recognizable pain.

Worried, Brennan bent toward him and put a hand on his chest to try to wake him up.

"Booth, wake up! Booth!"

His trashing became more frantic and his breath more labored. He grabbed the sheets in his fists, his phalanges turning white.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

He sat up, screaming with terror and panic. Brennan jumped back, avoiding her head to collide with his, but then, she rushed back to him, her hands on his arm. He was almost sobbing, his eyes unfocused, he was ashen, and kept repeating "no no no". He was shaking. He had sometimes nightmares, about his father, about the army, about Pelant and all the horrors they had to deal with in their jobs, but she had never seen him that upset. Usually, she just had to put a hand on him for him to acknowledge her presence and to calm down. But not this time and it was scaring her.

"Booth, Booth, can you hear me? Booth, are you okay?"

She saw him swallowing and he seemed more and more aware of his surroundings, even if he kept whispering heart breakings "no". When he looked at her, she felt her heart ache for him. She had never seen that much pain and grief in his face. He looked tortured, literally.

"Booth?"

She found herself crushed against his chest, as he closed his arms around her and buried his face in her hair.

"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay…" he whispered desperately, clutching her like he was afraid she would evaporate.

He was shaking so badly that she hesitated to push him away, but he was crushing her and it was starting to become painful.

"Booth… I have to breathe…"

He released her immediately.

"Oh God, I'm sorry…"

He looked like hell, devastated; he couldn't keep his eyes away from her face, drinking on her features, on the life he could see in her eyes. She was warm, she was looking at him, she was alive. He was afraid to wake up again to realize that his nightmare was in fact reality, that she was really dead and he was just dreaming she was alive… He felt lost and scared to death.

"Booth, are you okay?"

She was worried. She didn't know how to comfort him if she didn't know why he was that upset.

He swallowed, still looking at her as if she was a mirage.

"I… I had a nightmare… It's okay…"

She wasn't very well at reading people, but she knew Booth, probably better than she knew herself. And he didn't say "I'm fine", just "it's okay", when obviously it wasn't…

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He didn't seem to hear her, he was just staring at her with despair.

"Booth?"

"Just… Just give me a minute…"

He tried to get up but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Booth…"

"It… It's okay, go back to sleep, I just need a minute, I'll be back…"

She nodded. He took off his damp shirt and got out of the room.

She waited several minutes, she couldn't just go back to sleep knowing he wasn't feeling well. She finally gave up and went after him.

She found him standing in the dark in the living room, in front of the bay window, staring at the moon. She took a few seconds to look at him, his board naked back, his bare foot… Sometimes, she couldn't believe how lucky she was to be loved by such a good and handsome man.

She came quietly behind him and circled his waist with her arms, resting her cheek against his back. He was no longer shaking but he was tense. He relaxed a little bit at her touch, he put his hands above hers and they stood there silently for a while, until he broke the silence.

"I can't lose you…" he said hoarsely.

"You won't… I'm right here… Do you want to talk about it?"

She almost regretted asking the question when he tensed again. He turned to face her and took her in his arms, resting his forehead against hers.

"You were dead… Right here, in…in our living room… I came too late and… he killed you… You were dead…"

"Obviously, I'm not…"

He chuckled and she smiled softly. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I need to find him, I have to find him…"

"We don't know for sure he's the murderer…" she observed.

"I know he is, Bones, he almost told you so in his last message…"

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"If anything happens to you… I would die, I just can't… I would die…"

His voice was hoarse again and she felt herself in the verge of tears. She hated when he was upset, and she couldn't do anything to help him…

"No, you wouldn't, Parker, Christine and Hank would need you… More than ever."

"I won't be the same, not without you, Bones, you make me feel whole, you're a part of me…"

She took his face in her hands and kissed him softly.

"I feel the same about you, we are symbiotic, remember?"

"I'll find him, I won't let anything or anyone hurt you, I will arrest him…" he said fiercely.

"I know you will!"

Her answer was so matter of fact that he was speechless. He never ceased to be amazed by her faith in him, and he would never fail her, the idea of losing her was just inconceivable.

"I love you…"

"I love you too Bones, so much…"

He kissed her, deeply, possessively, making her moan and clutch to him.

"Take me to bed…" she whispered against his lips.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When she woke up in the morning, Booth wasn't in bed, and his place was cold. She could hear him in the kitchen, probably making breakfast. After a quick shower, she went to join him. Christine was helping him making pancakes, while Hank was chewing some fruits in his high chair. She loved mornings like that, for years, she had denied herself the single idea of having a family of her own. Happiness was far too ephemeral to last, everything sure and safe was about science and facts. Then, she met Booth, and he turned her well organized world upside down. She had been scared, terrified by the feelings he made her feel, but after years of denying, they had had to face the truth. And it was probably the best choice she had ever done.

"Mommy, look, we are doing pancakes with the shape of a heart!" Christine said, enthusiast. "Daddy says it's to show how much we love you! I love you mommy!"

Brennan smiled broadly at her daughter and came to embrace her daughter.

"I love you too sweetheart…"

Hank, who was almost jumping out of his chair at the sight of his mother, laughed when Brennan picked him up.

"And I love you too honey!" she cooed to her son, kissing him soundly.

"What about me?" Booth pouted.

Still smiling, she kissed him.

"I love you and you know that… Did you sleep?"

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm fine, don't worry…"

He was eluding, again. She wanted to push the issue, she wanted to help him, but she was cut by her phone. She put Hank in his father's arms and picked it up.

"Brennan… Okay… Where?... Okay… "

Booth felt the change in her voice. She was tense when she hanged up. She looked at him with sadness and dread.

"A body was found…"

She didn't need to say more, he had understood. Probably another victim of the serial killer aka anonymous stalker…

Half an hour later, Max was at home to take care of the children and they were at the crime scene. Bending over the remains, Brennan could feel her coworkers' eyes on her. They were probably wondering how she was dealing with a new body probably related to their case, but she ignored them.

"There is too much flesh on her lower body, but by the shape of the jaw and the orbits, the victim is a young Caucasian women, the usury of her teeth indicates she was in her twenties…"

Booth was focusing on his notes, trying to push away the images of his nightmare. When his phone rang, he turned away to pick up. Few minutes later, he rushed to his wife, who was giving instructions for the transportation of the remains to the lab.

"Hey Bones, Caroline got us a warrant, Aubrey and I are going to the social services…"

He hesitated. He didn't want to leave her side, not for a second, but if they had a warrant, they would be able to find who this guy was and to arrest him.

"Go, I'll be fine!"

"Just… Just be careful, okay? Please?"

She fought the urge to snap at him and sighed.

"Booth, I can take care of myself! Besides, those two agents didn't leave my side since we came here, even if I don't see any added value since you're with me and I can't be more safe than with you… And I noticed that they were parked in front of our house…"

"Bones, we agreed to…"

"It's okay, Booth, but just go, nothing can happen to me, we're going back to the lab right now…"

Booth nodded and took a step back, his eyes still on her. She was focusing again on her task, he knew he had to leave, but having her out of his sight was the hardest thing he had had to do for a while.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Thank you for your time, Mrs Sullivan…"

"You're welcome, and if you had any questions…"

Booth thanked the woman and left the building to go to his car. Thanks to Caroline, they had had a warrant to take all the files from the last decades at the social services. Aubrey and the other agents had taken everything to the FBI cars outside.

"Okay Aubrey, let's go, we have a long night ahead with all these files! Why do they have all those computers if they keep using all that old paper"

"Booth…"

As he came closer to his SUV, he saw that Aubrey was frowning and listening to something. He was pale and apprehensive when he looked at him.

"Booth, I think you should listen to that…"

Booth went over, and then he heard it. A radio call from the police.

"…all units, an explosion at the Jeffersonian Institute, I repeat, an explosion at the Jeffersonian Institute, this is an emergency"

 **TADAAAAAA! Thank you again so much for your amazing reviews! Of course, it was a nightmare, I'm such a B &B shipper, I can't just go and kill her! Well, I hope you enjoyed reading it! Now, you're time to tell me what did you think of it! It's 3am here so I'm going back to sleep! Take care! (two days to wait, I'm so excited!)**


	6. Chapter 6

Booth didn't remember driving to the hospital, maybe Aubrey had driven, but he couldn't care less, given how his hands were shaking. He had tried to call Bones, but she didn't answer her phone, nobody at the Jeffersonian answered. And it was driving him crazy, he was worried sick. He knew his wife, she would answer if she could, unless she was hurt…or worse…

He rushed at the emergency, he didn't know where to go and was about to grab a nurse and shae her until he got an answer, when he saw Cam. He began to run toward her.

"Cam! Cam!"

She turned to him, her face pale and anxious.

"Cam, where is Bones? Where is she?"

He looked frantically around them, searching for her beautiful face.

"Where is my wife?" he almost yelled at his friend.

Cam opened her mouth to answer but his panic was now out of control.

"Tell me, Cam, tell me, where is Bones?"

"Booth, calm down or they're going to call the security!" Hodgins stepped in, glancing at the nurses, who were frowning at them.

Booth turned to the man, and saw Angela behind him, tears running her face. It was like a punch to his gut. He took a step back, terror freezing his heart.

"No…" he whispered.

When she realized he had misunderstood her worry, Angela wiped her tears.

"Calm down, Booth, she's with the doctors… She's alive…"

He didn't feel relieved. Alive didn't mean fine. He needed to see her with his own eyes to breathe again.

"How bad is it?"

"We don't know, we're waiting for news… Sit down, you're going to pass out…" answered Cam.

He hadn't realized how badly his legs were trembling. He collapsed on a chair, his face in his hands. When he looked up again, Cam was pacing, while Hodgins had sat with Angela, holding her hands.

"What's the hell happened, Cam?"

His friend stopped. She was still struggling to believe what had happened, but she knew how worried he was, he needed to know. She sighed and sat next to him.

"The truck transporting the body was late; there was an accident and traffic… When they arrived, Doctor Brennan was waiting for them…"

He almost laughed at that. He could figure his wife pacing impatiently and lecturing the driver about the taxi drivers who always found a way to avoid traffic, enjoining him to take lessons with one of them.

"When they arrived, they went to take out the body, as usual, and Doctor Brennan went to help them, and then…"

She shook her head in disbelief.

"The body just…exploded…"

Booth jumped on his feet, bile rising in his throat.

"What? How? I mean, you examined the body on the crime scene, didn't you? Why didn't you notice anything? Bones would have seen if the body was trapped…"

"Booth, the lower part of the body was intact, I needed to be at the lab to examine it, and Doctor Brennan examined the bones of the upper part… I think it was meant to blow inside the lab, but as they were late, it exploded outside… Booth, the driver died, the other man is seriously injured, Doctor Brennan had been lucky to be far enough… "

Booth was pacing, his hands running nervously in his hair.

"Lucky?" he snorted. "I need to see her…"

As the doctor came to the waiting room, they all jumped on their feet and surrounded him.

"Doctor Connor, I'm Camille Saroyan, from the Jeffersonian Institute, we are Doctor Brennan's friends and coworkers, and here is her husband, FBI special agent Seeley Booth…"

The doctor nodded and didn't wait to talk, given how worried the husband looked.

"Okay, first of all, she's fine."

They all sighed with relief, except Booth who had to see her to believe him.

"She has three broken ribs, bruises and a concussion, but she had been very very lucky…"

He looked grim, probably thinking about the two men who hadn't been as lucky as her.

"She'll be sore for a few weeks, she has to rest, and we're going to keep her for two days in observation, to be sure the concussion isn't causing any damage… "

"Can I see her?"

"Yeah, of course, you can even stay with her, but not too many visits at a time…"

Booth didn't even look back as he went to the room indicated by the doctor. Their friends would understand…

She was lying in the hospital bed, her eyes closed. She was pale, her face full of cuts, bruises. She looked so small, so vulnerable, and he hated that. His wife was a lot of things but vulnerable.

"Stop staring at me, I'm fine…"

She opened her eyes to look at him and smiled weakly.

Booth let out a breath he didn't know he was holing and came to take her hand in his and to kiss her softly.

"I love you…"

"I love you too Booth… Don't look so worried, I'm fine, I promise…"

"Being in a hospital bed with a concussion after an explosion isn't being fine, Bones…"

He sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to hurt her, without letting go of her hand.

"You could have died…" he said darkly.

"But I didn't… I've been lucky… What about the driver and the other man, are they fine?"

Booth gulped. He thought she knew, but she had been probably unconscious…

"One of them had been badly hurt, I don't know how he is, I'll ask… And the other…"

He didn't need to say it out loud. She could read the answer on his face. She closed her eyes with sadness and anger.

"I'm sorry Bones…"

"I was mean to him… When he was late, I gave him a hard time… I… I was mean…"

Booth shook his head when she looked at him with so much distress in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, no Bones, you're not mean, he was late, you reacted like anyone else would have reacted in their job… He knew you, I know he didn't bear you a grudge…"

"You can't know that…"

"Yes I can…"

She was too tired to argue with him.

"I'll find who did this…"

His tone was determinate and implacable. He was beyond furious, and afraid, and he wouldn't stop working until he got the bastard down.

"I know you will…" she whispered, her eyes fluttering.

"Rest, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere…" he said softly, kissing her forehead with tenderness.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When he entered his office, Aubrey was waiting for him.

"How is Doctor Brennan?"

"Improving… She's going home tomorrow…"

Booth hadn't left her side, but when Aubrey had called to tell him they had a new letter, he had hesitated. Angela had told him to go while she enjoyed her best friend. He had gone home to take a shower and to change before heading to the FBI.

"I'm glad to hear that!"

Booth nodded and sat at his desk.

"Okay, what do we have?"

Aubrey handed him a piece of paper carefully tucked in a transparent folder. Booth slammed his hand on his desk when he read the words. _I didn't mean to hurt you, it's their fault, soon we'll be together for eternity and nobody will hurt you again_

"Son of a bitch!"

He threw the paper away on his desk and stood to pace in his office, running his hands in his hair. He took his baseball bat, and Aubrey took a step back when he was how fierce Booth looked.

"At least, we know that the murderer and the stalker is the same person…"

"I'm going to find this bastard… We went through far too much to let that son of a bitch ruin everything!"

Aubrey nodded.

"And I'm gonna help you…"

 **Thank you so so much for the feedback! I hope you liked this one, and if you could take a minute or two to let me a review, it would definitely make me happy!**

 **Who watch the new episode of Bones? I just loved it, but I miss B &B moments! But according to the Q&A facebook live with the producers, there are going to be some episodes more focused on them, and I can't wait! I missed them so much! Take care! **

**Ps: thank you so much to the reader who corrected me, commotion is the French word for concussion, so I corrected it. When I'm not sure about a translation, I write it in French, to go back to it later, but I forgot! So, I'm updating again, hopefully without any more mistakes!**


	7. Chapter 7

She woke up to the feeling of a hand smoothing tenderly her hair. She sighed contentedly and turned slightly to have the hand stroking her cheek.

"Booth…" she whispered with a smile.

Even though she was still under the effect of the pain killers, she felt the hand tense for a split second. It was so brief she wasn't sure it happened, but she opened her eyes all the same. Everything was misty; however she could see a face above her, a face with a surgical mask.

"It's okay, everything is going to be fine, Temperance…"

The voice seemed far away, and everything was just blurred, she felt confused, dizzy and lost.

"Doc…Doctor Brennan…" she stammered, trying to focus but unable to. Her tongue was so heavy in her mouth, speaking was hard. The man chuckled.

"I'm the nurse, I'm just checking on you…" he said quietly.

She nodded weakly. Back in her mind, she knew something was wrong, she couldn't shake the feeling that she should call Booth, but she wasn't able to think more about it. She didn't have the energy to fight the exhaustion and the effect of the drug she had just taken, so she went back to sleep.

When she woke up again, she was feeling better and was able to spot Booth in the chair beside her. He was watching her and smiled when he saw her awake.

"Hey, sleepyhead, feeling better?" he said softy, rising to kiss her.

She was feeling groggy but at least, she was able to speak, to think and to see clearly.

"Actually, I am. How long I've been out? Did you see Aubrey?"

His smile faded.

"Bones, just rest, please, we're working on this, but you have to rest…"

She frowned at him.

"There's been another letter, hasn't it? Can I see it?"

Booth shook his head. Sometimes he hated how smart she was. For someone who didn't believe in gut feeling, she was annoyingly right most of the time, even without bones in her hands.

"Have you heard a single word I've just said?"

"I have, Booth, but I'm fine, and I know how to take care of myself!"

"Damn it Bones! There is a murderer out there who is stalking you and who almost killed you!"

"But he didn't, and you need me to find him, you know that!" she replied stubbornly.

The truth was she hated being helpless about her own fate, and even if she trusted her husband with her life, she needed to act, to feel useful. Booth knew her, he couldn't ask her to just stay put at home while all the people she loved risked their lives to find the killer.

Booth sighed and his face softened.

"I need you to be alive with me for at least fifty years…" he said quietly, taking her hand between his.

She didn't know how he did to always find the words to reach her and to soften her. He made her feel vulnerable and stronger at the same time, they have been together for years, but that mix of emotions was still confusing to her. The way he made her melt, and yet tough, was a mystery. She wished she had the same skill…

"I know we need you to catch him, it doesn't mean I have to like it…" he added.

She wanted to reassure him, but a nurse entered the room, interrupting her.

"Check time!" the older woman said with a smile.

"I've already been checked…" observed Brennan.

The nurse looked at her, confused and shook her head.

"I've just seen the duty nurse, she hasn't checked on you yet…"

The nurse took the file clipped on the bed and browsed it

"And according to this, you haven't been checked yet, not since you took your treatment…"

Brennan frowned, her stomach clenching with what Booth would call a bad feeling.

"I've been checked earlier, and it was a male… He came and he told me he was here to check on me…"

Her voice was steady, but her face had gone paler than usual. Booth clenched his fists, feeling suddenly sick at his stomach, when the nurse answered.

"There are two men working here as nurses, one is in Paris right now, and the other left for a few days to get married in Florida…"

The nurse looked almost afraid when she saw the FBI agent jumping on his feet, his jaw set and his eyes hard.

"When was it, Bones? How was he?"

Bones looked at him, confused.

"I… I don't know, just after Angela left, I was groggy then, I couldn't see his face though, he was wearing a surgical mask… "

"Did he touch you? Did he give you anything?"

He was frantic now, she tried to remember but everything was just a haze.

"He was smoothing my hair… But I don't think he gave me anything… He just told me he was checking on me… And he called me Temperance…"

Booth seemed about to explode. The idea of that bastard touching her was driving him crazy and terrified him.

"Call the doctor, you have to make sure he hadn't given her anything! Do you have any security camera?"

The nurse nodded, her eyes wide.

"I want to watch the records!"

"Booth…"

He held a hand to stop her. He was angry, at himself mostly, for leaving her. The first time he left, she almost died, and now, that bastard had touched her. He could almost hear Sweet's voice in his head, " _it's not your fault agent Booth, she was with Angela, with an agent guarding her room, and what place could be safer than a hospital…_ " Except it wasn't safe, not anymore. Everything seemed out of control, they didn't have a clue about who this guy was, they just knew what he wanted, and Booth would die before he let this monster lay a single finger on his wife. He felt overwhelmed by anger and fear, and couldn't handle her claiming to be strong enough to fight by herself.

"Don't Bones, okay, just don't… Not now"

She had never seen him that upset, except maybe with the Pelant's case. So she kept quiet. The nurse ran outside to warn the doctor, while he took his phone and dialed a number.

"Yeah Aubrey… He came to see her… I don't have time to explain, I want you here to take the footage from the surveillance camera… We're looking for a man, probably wearing a surgical mask… I know many men in a hospital fit the description Aubrey! Just do it and focus on Bones' room! "

He hanged up and yelled.

"Agent Jamison!"

A tall man came in, looking between Brennan and Booth, puzzled by the other agent's expression.

"Yes sir?"

"Did you leave your post?"

"You have an agent guarding my room?" Bones exclaimed, her eyes wide with a mix of annoyance and surprise.

She had been sleeping a lot lately, she didn't notice anything, but he could have told her at least, and she felt exasperated. He had always been overprotective, but they had agreed to always be honest about that.

Frustrated, Booth ignored her and focused all his attention on the young agent, who seemed all of a sudden very uncomfortable. Booth had asked for three agents, but he had been allowed to have only one agent, and it pissed him off.

"Did you leave your post?"

His voice was icy and Agent Jamison understood what the others meant about his protectiveness towards his wife.

"I… I had to pee, sir…"

Booth caught him by the collar, his face merely an inch from Jamison's.

"Your order was not to leave, not on any account!" he said through gritted teeth.

The agent didn't know what was happening, he had seen the nurse rushing outside, but he had thought it was for a medical reason.

"I… I am sorry…"

"Booth, he can't ignore a physical urge, every human being is subjected to numerous imperatives of physical order, such as the gravity, breathing, drinking, eating, the need for sexual activity, or the need to relieve itself like he did. Well, not really every human being, since I can resist all these urges for a very long time, but I'm quite exceptional, so…"

Booth blinked at her several seconds, before letting go of the agent.

"I'll have two agents taking your place... Go!"

The agent nodded and left the room. Booth's shoulders slumped.

"How are you feeling Bones?" he asked without looking at her.

"I'm fine… Booth, maybe it wasn't him… Maybe the nurse is wrong… And if it was him, he didn't do anything to hurt me…"

Booth turned to look at her. His eyes showed so much distress she felt her heart constrict.

"So, what do you suggest, what am I supposed to do? Just let him be until he hurts you? I can't do that, Bones, you know I can't lose you… Would you do that if it was me instead of you?"

Bones raised her hand until he took it and came to sit next to her. He kissed her knuckles and her forehead.

"No I wouldn't… But you don't have to fight by yourself, we are stronger together, we have always been stronger together…"

Booth closed his eyes, his nose in her hair. Then he nodded and whispered before kissing her hard.

"Together…"

 **Thank you so much for your nice reviews, for taking the time to correct my mistakes, for being here to read this story!**

 **I watched Bones yesterday, and what can I say, that punch was just so perfect and so Bones! And next week episode seems to be epic, I can't wait!**

 **Take care, be kind, (let a review), and see you soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the feedback! I'm quite in a hurry, but thank you, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, I struggled with it and I'm not sure about posting it, but I'm leaving for a few days, so here we go!**

Staring at the ceiling, Booth couldn't sleep. He had tried everything, from those sickening flower infusions Bones liked so much, to going out for a run. Not that he ran very far, the thought of leaving his family without him watching over them making him uncomfortable. Yes, agents were posted in the street, but still, the need to keep an eye on his wife himself was impossible to deny.

He heard her sigh and turned his head to look at her. She looked peaceful, a hand under her cheek, some hair falling over her face. God, he loved her. She was stubborn, infuriating, brave, far too brave for her own safety, she had the biggest heart he had ever seen, she was an incredible mother and step-mother, she was smart, and gorgeous. Sometimes, he could see she was annoyed with her body, which was unlikely her, even if she claimed that changing was normal after two children. And on these few times, he wished he could show her how stunning she was, how she took his breath away many times a day. She was everything, and he had to catch the bastard who wanted to take her away from him.

He reviewed all the information they had about the murders and the letters. Hodgins was able to find from where the explosives came, they had watched the records of the hospital, and Angela was trying to get a picture of the suspect. He had indeed a surgical mask, which made it harder. They could tell he was quite tall, skinny, probably in his thirties. But it wasn't enough. Everybody was working hard, day and night, but it seemed that they were after a ghost. The only half print they had found was the ljkkljljl

It was like trying to catch smoke, smoke slipping between his fingers, finding a way to reach Bones even in a hospital. Someone invisible but determined to be a part of her life "for eternity", and Booth felt sick at what eternity could mean.

Her hand came to rest on his chest and she snuggled closer, looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"How long have you been awake?"

He shrugged and held her tight. He couldn't tell her he actually didn't sleep at all, she would lecture him, and so he kept quiet. Her hand came to his cheek, turning him until their eyes met despite the dark.

"Are you okay, Booth?"

Her voice was always hoarse when she woke up, and he smiled softly at her.

"I'm fine, Bones, go back to sleep…"

They laid quiet for a while, until he thought she was asleep.

"Are you afraid?" she asked.

He sighed.

"Let's say I'll sleep better once this guy is in jail, or…"

He didn't say it but Brennan knew. He would kill without a second thought if he had to. And she hated that.

"I am afraid…" she said quietly.

He knew how it cost her to admit something like fear. He was amazed by how they had grown up, together, since the day they had met.

"I won't let anything happen to you…"

His voice was confident and steady. He was afraid, and lost with a case that led to more questions than answers, but he was sure of one thing: he would protect her with his life. She looked at him, frowning, and somewhat, offended.

"I'm not worried about me, Booth… But, if the body had blown up in the platform… Many people could have died… Cam, Hodgins… Angela…"

Her voice faltered and she closed her eyes, fighting tears.

"Hey… Everybody is safe… Okay? You're the one I'm worried about, everyone else is safe…"

"What if the next time you're hurt? Or the children? I can't survive that…"

She wasn't only afraid. She was terrified. She didn't say it, she didn't need to.

"Look, for all we know, he never tried to hurt me or the children, he probably wanted revenge for what he thought was unfair to you when Cam announced you were no longer working for the Jeffersonian…"

He observed her, as the words soaked in her mind. He had always found her fascinating. The way she frowned when thinking hard about something, the way she shut the world out to focus on whatever she was trying to solve. She was strong, and feisty, and smart, but sometimes, she seemed just far too innocent for all the terrible things they went through with their jobs.

"So, this is my fault…" she whispered, avoiding his eyes, as if she was afraid to see him agreeing with that.

"What? No, Bones, come on!"

"I just… I have the feeling I'm missing something… We have the remains, indicating the same MO for all the victims, but we still don't have the murder weapon, we have the letters, with no clue at all, something is bugging me… And now, a man died because of me…"

He sat up with her, and tilt up her chin so that he could look straight in her eyes.

"No, Bones! It wasn't even your idea! None of this is your fault! The only responsible is the sick bastard wo trapped the body… "

He kissed her lightly.

"And to answer your first question… Yes, I'm scared… There is no shame in being scared, I've been scared since the day I became a father, and then, since the day I met you… I was scared not to be good enough for Parker, or for you… I'm scared to lose any of you, any of the people I love and care about… It doesn't mean I'm weak, because I'm not, I'm scared and I'm strong, because I love you just so much… Do you understand?"

She smiled a little.

"I think I know what you mean… You're a brave and strong man Booth, I never doubted that…"

He kissed her tenderly, then rested his forehead against hers.

"You know how to man up a man… Feel free to do it again, any time…"

She laughed at that, and he couldn't help himself. He kissed her again.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"That sweet doctor of yours has a thing for troubles, hasn't she?"

Caroline made her way the conference room and sat with a heavy sigh. She took a look at Booth and raised her eyebrows.

"When was the last time you slept, cher?"

"I can't remember… And maybe troubles have a thing for her?"

"Troubles are not a person and can't have a thing for anyone…" said a familiar voice, bringing a warm feeling in his chest.

Bones came to sit next to Caroline, with a smile for her husband, while Aubrey followed a young woman who collapsed on a chair and took a giant sandwich from her purse before having a big bite.

Aubrey was literally drooling; Booth, Brennan and Caroline just stared at her until she realized the weird silence. She swallowed and smiled at them.

"I'm so hungry, serial killers do that to me, I find myself starving every time I'm working on a serial killer case…"

 _She's so weird!_ Aubrey mouthed at Booth before taking a seat far away from the psychologist.

"Ditch that skinny red head of yours, I think you just found your soul mate cher!" Caroline said, looking hungrily at the sandwich.

Aubrey started to protest that they were just friends, but he stopped when Booth cleared his throat.

"Okay, let's focus… And you, just do your shrink thing, you'll eat later…"

She put her sandwich aside with regret but became focused in a blink.

"We have a man, in his thirties, who is obsessed with Doctor Brennan. We know he's been sending cray-cray messages to Doctor Brennan for the past few weeks…"

"What is cray-cray? Is it English?" asked Brennan with genuine interest.

"Just a kind of weird abbreviation Bones… Karen…"

"Fine, from the letters, and the victims profile, assuming there is a link between the author and the murders, he's a foster kid, who had probably suffered from abuses, who was too afraid to be angry with the families who mistreated him, and instead reported his anger to his mother, who abandoned him in the first place. This anger consummated him until he snapped and went out of depth with reality… The MO, the letters, everything suggests that he thinks he's just restoring justice and punishing women who deserved to be punished… "

Brennan snorted but Booth seemed interested and tensed.

"What does it have to do with Bones?"

Karen took her purse and rummaged in it before taking out a file.

"What, that's Mary Poppins' purse here?" exclaimed Caroline.

"Notes were found in the hospital, after each mother abandoned their child. A note in the baby's file, with a name on it. The nurses respected that and named the children after the notes. But all the notes seemed to have been written by the same person…"

She took a big and over-dramatically breath.

"The boys were named Max and Russ… The little girl Joy…"

The room went silent. Booth and Brennan were pale and looked sick. Aubrey was looking at them with confusion.

"What? What's wrong with those names?"

Brennan regained composure, while Booth was clearly too upset to speak. His jaw was tense, his fists clenched, and he was looking at his wife with horror.

"Joy… It was my name, before my parents changed our identity…"

Aubrey's eyes went wide as he realized.

"Max… Russ… Your family…"

Karen looked at her intently.

"Yes. I think the murderer might come from your past…"


	9. Chapter 9

Booth wanted to punch something. Anything. He was sitting next to his wife, while she was forced to go through what had been a difficult past. Like every time she had to deal with overwhelming feelings, she kept a straight face and had become impassive. And he hated that. He hated that she had to compartmentalize, that she had to rise up her walls back to deal with all the crappy memories thrown at her. He wanted nothing more than to take her away from this.

"We went through the files about the families who welcomed you…" explained Aubrey, opening several files.

"Welcome isn't accurate…" she replied coolly.

Aubrey nodded, looking at Booth like he was asking for help. He felt uncomfortable to have to go through so intimate memories. Especially when he knew that Booth would have his head if he hurt Brennan in any way.

"Hum… Okay… Right… Well, the families you had to live with… We already know that the suspect is a man, tall, in his thirties, so that's leaves us with four families. The others didn't have a son, or too old to fit the profile… So, we have the Petersons…"

He pushed a file toward Booth and Brennan. She didn't move to take it, and she kept her eyes on Aubrey.

"They had two sons and a daughter… Richard, Vincent, and Jenna… Richard lives in Scotland, Vincent is in the navy, at the other side of the world… "

"They were okay. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson were quite kind, but they didn't like my…point of view… They were very catholic…"

She had said that as if she was talking about remains. Professional, emotionless and straight to the point. She used to say that the emotions belonged to the victims' families. That her mission was to give the victims dignity by identifying them and allowing their families to grieve them. Her ability to detach herself from any emotional turmoil had been harder since she had opened her heart to Booth, but as he looked at her, he felt like he was back years ago.

After a silence, Aubrey took another file.

"Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill…"

Booth felt her tense; he leaned on her and took her hand. She didn't react at his touch, but he was relieved she wasn't pushing him away.

"They had one son… David…"

"David was younger than me, he was very kind… He was the one to warn me about the trunk punishment… He helped me…"

Booth felt sick. He never forgot when Bones had told Sweet about the time she was locked in the trunk of a car for breaking a plate. It had made him angry, and he was far angrier now. Bones looked at him for the first time.

"It's okay Booth…" she said softly.

 _No it's not okay I'm going to find them and to put them in jail forever_ he wanted to shout. But instead, he nodded, his jaw set, and the hand which wasn't holding hers clenched in a fist.

"David works in DC, we'll have to ask him a few questions… Then…"

Aubrey took a third file.

"The Monroe's… But their son Benjamin died in a moto accident two years ago… Then, at last, we have the Roberts…"

Bones paled and her hand came to rest on her belly. Concerned, Booth looked at her.

"Bones, are you okay?"

She didn't respond, staring in front of her as if she was miles, or years away from that conference room. Which concerned her husband even more. He gave the file back to Aubrey, glaring at him.

"Okay, stop all that bullshit; she didn't need to go through this, not now!" he growled, his protectiveness in full display.

He stopped when his wife talked.

"I'd like to speak to Booth… In private…"

Aubrey blinked at her.

"But… We need all the information to…"

"Get out…" said Booth, glaring at him.

Aubrey cleared his throat and got up.

"Okay… Well… Fine… I'm just going to… I'm going to grab something to eat… You know… Hypoglycemia… I'll just… I'm leaving now…"

He almost ran outside, shutting the door behind him. The silence then became quickly unbearable to Booth, heavy with questions he needed answers for.

Brennan kept her hand in his but didn't look at him. Stony faced, she began to speak.

"The Roberts had one son and one daughter… Jonathan and Marissa… Both were older than me… When I came to stay with them, I was sixteen, I've had already been in many foster families in the past few months… But despite my record, they were nice to me… The first week went well… I had a room of my own, I went to school, they never hit or locked me… I noticed how Mr Roberts was looking at me sometimes, but it wasn't the first time, and nothing had ever happened, so I didn't worry…"

Booth's stomach was a giant knot, but he remained quiet.

"One night… Mrs. Robert had left with Marissa, her mother was sick, so she went to see her for a few days… One night… I was sleeping, but something awoke me. Someone was touching me, touching inappropriate places. At first, I thought I was still asleep, having a nightmare like I used to have… But then, I realized… It was Mr. Robert. I turned on the light and he was standing in front of me, he wasn't alone, Jonathan was with him… I told them to get out of my room, so they just left… I was terrified, I knew that nobody would believe me, so I didn't say anything, Mrs. Robert came back… I avoided Mr. Robert and Jonathan as much as I could… But then, Mrs. Robert had to leave again… And they came back in my room the first night…"

She swallowed. Booth had to restrain himself for standing. He didn't know what to do, his heart was pounding in his ears with apprehension, anger, disgust and helplessness.

"Mr. Robert was holding me, he told his son that he was going to be a man… Historically, men took their sons to brothel to make them lose their virginity, it was a significant ritual supposed to mark a transition to adulthood…"

"Bones…"

His voice was almost a whisper.

"I fought back, I screamed, I kicked… And then Marissa came in before they could achieve their goal… She was supposed to be at a sleepover with her friends, but she had had flu over the past days, and she didn't feel well… The next day, the social worker took me away, and Mr. Roberts and his son had to face sexual assault charges… Many other girls had been raped before I came; none of them had said a word until then…"

Booth jumped on his feet. He paced in the conference room, taking deep breathes to calm down. When he punched the wall with a growl, she winced. He saw her and came hastily to sit beside her, taking both her hands in his and searching for her eyes.

"Bones…"

When she finally looked at him, he rested his forehead against hers.

"You're the bravest person I've ever met. You're so brave, so beautiful… I'm so proud to be the luckiest guy in the world for being loved by you… Bones, what happened to you…"

He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes painfully. God, he wanted to go get Max and to kick his ass to the moon for running away from his daughter.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

She shrugged.

"I didn't see the point. They didn't rape me even if they tried, and we never got to talk about that until today…"

He took her face between his hands to look at her. The love and devotion she could see all over his face was almost overwhelming.

"I'll never let anything happen to you, you know that? Not anymore…"

She smiled.

"Although I can take care of myself, I find that I trust you with my life, like I always did…"

He kissed her tenderly.

"I love you…"

"I love you too, Bones… Do you feel ready for Aubrey to get back?"

She nodded. They had a murderer to catch.

 **Here we go another chapter! Thank you so much for the nice reviews, don't forget to follow or favorite this story if you like it, and don't forget to click just right there! Take care!**


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